The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-02-11
A Little Loose Advice.

Yes, my son, there are men who, In
the morning of their lives, TIE brightest,
strongest, bravest days they have to
live, go through various courses, and
come out reformed, and all right at last.
There are some men who do this. Once
in q while you will find one and you
think you will do Just as he did.
But the hundred OF the thousand men
who started 10 with him and never got
through The swimmers who plunged
into that Turbulent isea of dissipated
recklessness with, him, and never gained
the shore again but went down 10 the
combing billows and the yessty break
ers How about thenS Arnt You
more than likely TO be one Of the multi
rude, than You are TO be The exception
tell you, my be-. ten young fellows
Of your age may en- cark together in the
prOdigal business, with good capital and
the usual stock of red paint for munich
pal decorative purposes their hands are
steady, their brsi.s are clear, their hearts
are brave, and they are ambitious and
hopeful and earnest f; they only want to
have their racket and see the town be-
fore they settle down to hard, steady
work. They are not going to be drunk
sr2s. They're all right they don't
believe in this sort of thing at all, but
they are young, and it's quiet on the
farm with nobody but old folks and the
elder brother. and they want to travel
and see the world little before thew be-
come good citizens, props to society,
and pillars of the church. And by and
by. when the state and society and the
church wants them and needs them, we
look for the ten and they are not found,
returning to give glory to God for mercy
and saving strength and cheering grace,
save the stranger. the Samaritan. And
we ask, where are the nine 1Tr
Ny dear boy, there is more hope for
the stranger, for the strest wsif, born in
the haunts Of vice and walking in its
ways all his life, than there is for the
young man who, born in the light and
taught in the way of uprightness, turns
/ his back deliberately upon wisdom and
virtue. AMI intelligently makes vice his
choice. The stranger, charmed with
/ purity and health and cleanliness so new
/ and beautiful 10 him, comes back but
the nine, my SOD
Now, my boy. be sensible in this mat
. ter. You say, "Oh, well, III take the
/ chances on it.7 Well, now that's all
right. Come, you and 1 are men Of the
E
take the chances on it, as you do on
the horse race, the turn of card, on the
election, on the prize fght, the regatta,
the walking match. Just give your
moral conduct, your higher life, yoHr
character, your good name, your hopes
and ambitions an even show with the
horse race and draw poker and the
smuggling match won't even ask YOU
to do better than that. Just give them
fair feld and DO favor, and may the
best one win.
AT the horse race do you deliberately
take but one chance in ten, IN pools p
Do you put your money on the horse
that has a record of ten races, nine OF
which he has lost True, you back the
fayOrite against The field sometimes, but
the favOrlIe isn't tie horse with the
losing record. You don't draw TO q
poker hand that you know won't ill
once in ten times, not if You can just as
well draw to something that is a dead
sure thing nine times out of ten. You
1 don't bet on the last man in the walking
4 Nah -
chance and athletic contests and games
of skill-and they 81 90 IN tle same
{ boat in these days-the chances are al
ways against you, but -1u don't select
the worst ones, do yUuY Now, be hon
est. and give yourself as good a chance
in life as you do at the horse race.
And then ting tired? Well. Just
I one word, and IL let you 60 In three
card monte, in ne poker room, at the
faro bank, at the horse race, at the walk
ing match, in the grand lottery, in the
little bunco scheme, who takes the
/ chsnces?" Honest, now, who take
/ the chances ?' Yes, my son the bet
! ters, every time. The pool buyers the
! people in the grand stand the ticket
holders, the visitors from the country /;
( the fools. And who rake in the pile p
Who gather the stamps You are cor
rect; the dealer, the bHnco steerer, the
managers OF the lottery, the poker sharp,
. They don't "take the chances, " my son.
+ They are "children Of this world' who
''are in their generation wiser than the
children of light" They do not take
the chances" " They let you and me
take the chances" b" and they "take the
pot
You may go, my son. Have some
sense. Not too much. You needn't
burden yourself with more than you can
manage. a few grains of sense is as
much as nest men need. and more. oh.
tons more than great many men have.
He that is not open TO conviction Is not